Share your travel experiences, help me choose a place to go!

[ANY2CARDZ]

Not sure where else to put this but im have a month of starting july 15th and i want to travel somewhere warm, where i can surf/party/relax, and enjoy a culture different then canada's. I was thinking Thialand, Costa Rica, Brazil. Thialand is expensive to get to, and pretty hot right now, Costa Rica is supposed to be in their rainy season which could hinder traveling pretty badly. And im a little worried about the language barrier in Brazil. Any input, or other travel destinations with experiences would be great, or even another forum, or place to post this would be appreciated. Thanks

[tek]

Bankok makes a hard man humble...

[Colonel Kataffy]

Costa Rica is sweet and cheap as all hell. I went in november though, so I couldn't tell you about the weather.

[Hal 2000]

Aruba baby!

[Chairman Wood]

Okay try to bump this or PM me in a few daysso I can better answer the questions as I am hammered right now and probably forgetting a lot of [censored]. Regarding Thailand. It's wild, very beautiful but what you should be doing really depends on what you like to do for fun. Women situation can get crazy there. Thailand is pretty hot all year around. It also has a pretty intense rainy season which I am not sure if it will be during the time you would be going but would probably only be a look at lonelyplanet away from finding out. And by intense rainy season I mean moonsoon style [censored]. It is really expensive to get to but pretty cheap once you are there. Especially the food. You can eat really excellent and delicious food for less thand $1.50 a day. Also, when you talk about a language barrier you are going to have a big problem any of the places that you are considering but especially in Thailand. You have no idea how similar languages are to each other until you travel to a country that has a completely different alphabet than yours. It is very tough to deal with but can be fun if you like that kind of thing. Anyway, Bangkok, is sewer, nasty place. If I were you I would plan on getting there, go to the palace, watch some muay thai and get out of there on a flight to phukhet or somewhere the same day. Hit up the beaches there or a town not to far from there and just enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches and rainforests you will ever see. Make sure you ride an elephant through the jungle. Oh and if you are considering South America and Brazil doesn't suit your fancy, consider Argentina, absoutely beautiful country. It is winter there so it may be a very good time to hit up the rainforest area around Iguazu falls, (which you could get to from Brazil also). During a lot of the year, it can be too hot to get to but their winter (northern hemisphere summer) is the best time to get to rainforest type areas.

[Zaxenexaz]

Amsterdam.

[ANY2CARDZ]

Whats the language barrier like in thialand, do most shops, hotels ect. have people that speak basic english, or would i be relying on a phrase book?

[BadBoyBenny]

Look into Croatia, it was the best vacation spot I ever went to.

If you want an idea, google pictures of the following places. Dubrovnik, Hvar Island (anywhere else on the Dalmatian coast)

[mslif]

Spain... Definitely my best vacation ever. The people there are awsome and the partying is insane. The beaches are very clean and there is always something going on. Definitely something you should consider. Also, you can get to Ibiza from there which is pretty much party island. Trust me, you will never forget it

[eric5148]

.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

Haven't been to any of those places yet, but plan to go to Costa Rica later this year. So my vote is for the Switzerland of the Americas.

[MagicAntonio]

Aruba, where the geckos are long as your arm and the drinks are longer than that. Only downside to this place: No topless beaches. What're you gonna do? Even paradise isn't perfect.


-Antonio, President of Rocks & Rings
www.magicantonio.com (http://www.magicantonio.com/)

[Argus]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
Look into Croatia, it was the best vacation spot I ever went to.

If you want an idea, google pictures of the following places. Dubrovnik, Hvar Island (anywhere else on the Dalmatian coast)

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree. I've only travelled Europe and the western States, but Croatia has an unrivalled beauty. I thought Pula was gorgeous and regretted not being able to go further south to Dubrovnik. The beaches are gorgeous, the seafood is cheap and tasty, there are many historical ruins to visit, and probably plenty of other fun things to do. You can even sneak around to Italy if you're in the North and wanta change of pace.

[Drew16]

Costa Rica is a great place. There isnt much of a language barrier. Sometimes the locals english is poor but they know enough to communicate. I dont surf but there was lots of surfers there and from talking to some of them thats the place to go if you wanna surf. The town of Tamarindo was a big surfing town. I stayed at Barcelo Playa Langosta which is very close to Tamarindo. Prices seemed reasonable but we did an all-inclusive so I didnt spend much money.

[Mercsgrl]

Fiji ...Turtle Island if youre with that special someone /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Fiji

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with this completely if you just want an island paradise. But if you specifically want surfing/snorkeling then I suggest Australia. Despite being ridiculously far away, it is well worth the trip if you have a month to spend there. Bels Beach hosts the world surfing championships, I believe, and is a gorgeous beach. Then there are also Manli and Bondi beaches near Sydney which are amazing for sunning/surfing and then of course the Great Barrier Reef up north for snorkeling/scuba diving.

[pmuir10]

[ QUOTE ]
surf/party/relax

[/ QUOTE ]

kuta beach, bali. if you can get there (its in indonesia) its perfect for all three of these, and cheap as hell once you're there/

[blatz]

Thailand...you got everything... beaches, mountains, jungle, food, and you can pop into Cambodia and see Angkor Wat, absolutely amazing ruins. Travel there is a breeze, Language is no barrier, and in the beach towns, you'll have no problem meeting people.

Kho Phagnan is my favorite, you can find everything from utter solitude to insane party scenes on the little island. Kho Tao is a ferry ride away...learn to SCUBA dive and get your certificate for $150. If beaches are what you want, you'll never be able to hit them all in Thailand. Krabi is great, and there are lots of obscure islands i never even bothered with. You can easily pay a few dollars a night for huts on the beach.

Then go north...see some jungle. Take a trek for a few days...You can rent scooters in every town for 4 bucks a day, just pick a direction and go. And when you get in a wreck, local drunks will help you gerryrig them, so you don't get in trouble when you get back to the rental place.

Right now it's the rainy season, but thats allright...it'll downpour for a little while, and then the day feels great.

If you end up going with Thailand, and want more ideas, just say so..I bought a plane ticket to go back the other day, so I've been nerding out over my old guide book remembering everything.

[ANY2CARDZ]

i think thialand is it! Where do you suggest going? Any traveling tips? This is my first real taste of traveling on my own.

[DeezNuts]

Just bought a plane ticket to Thailand for 10 days. Meeting some friends that have been backpacking through Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos for the past month.

It's freaking hot out there right now, any suggestions on things to do? Not interested in the prostitution or anything out there(gonna be with an ex-flame and a couple other females for most of the time), mostly wanting to chill on the beaches, see some great scenery, eat some good food, and party.

How do I see a muy Thai match? Is the snorkeling/scuba diving worth the price? Any tours that are good? Any help appreciated.

DN

[KJS]

I lived in Thailand for a year and a half recently. In the tourist areas anyone who wants to supply with goods or services will speak English. That is their bread and butter: getting tourist $, so they learn what they have to. Don't worry about it. If you were gonna go solo into some smaller villages I would recommend learning the basics of Thai. If you are gonna stick to Bangkok and the islands, no worries.

If you do decide to go there, PM me and I can point you towards some cool stuff. And give you some language tips that will help you if you get stuck.

KJS

[KJS]

Look up these places:

Ko Ngai (aka Ko Hai)
Ko Boulon
Ko Lipe

They are the best islands, IMO. Very far South, off of Trang or Satun Provinces. I can't remember when they are in monsoon season though. Overall the Andaman beaches are way better than the Gulf of Thailand ones.

Phuket is also very cool, but there are some really shi**y parts. If you do go there (it is so easy to get to because of the big airport), go to Naithon or Naiyang beaches. They are in the Northwest corner, near the airport and the national park. Not as party-centric as the other areas on Phuket but very beautiful.

Get a Lonely Planet book for information on things like Muay Thai. If you are in Bangkok on a weekend I highly recommend going to the racetrack. There are 2 and the races move from one to the other each week. Any cabbie (and maybe hotel people) will know which was is having the races that weekend. Very non-touristy place but a great way to spend an afteroon. Betting is very different from here but you should be able to figure it out easily.

KJS

PS. For some reason the Thai word for beach, which is pronouced Gaw, with a short vowel and a low tone, is written Ko in English in most places. Everyone will know what you mean if you say a word that sounds like Ko though.